Question : Workstations dropping to offline, server only reachable through FQDN

I am running Server 2003 + Exchange.  We tried to setup VPN unsuccessfully a couple weeks ago and have had DNS issues cropping up since around that time.

I added 2 NICS to the server for the VPN work and have since disabled the network connection but left the cards installed.

I generally don't get the correct address when I ping the server named server.  When I added a computer to the domain I have to use domainname.local.com instead of just domainname.

Computers are frequently dropping online to offline mode and making all sorts of problems synchronizing files. Several times a day.

I cannot browse to \\server I can use \\192.168.1.2 and \\server.domain.local.com

I went to the DNS server management console and server is listed as 192.168.1.2.

I have wins server enabled and tried adding the wins server to the nic with and without enable netbios over tcp/ip.  Without solving the problem.

When I setup an exchange mailbox through outlook on a workstation or on the server (local install of outlook) I had to use IP address or FQDN I believe worked.

I can't for the life of me figure out what i did or why the dns is so clearly not functioning.

Answer : Workstations dropping to offline, server only reachable through FQDN

I just gave this some serious thought. While pinging you send an ICMP message to the server on port 7. The server responds with a DNS resolution on port 53.

When you try to do a DNS query, you don't get it back. DNS queries, on port 53 are blocked from making it to the server. So, the server has to have a firewall or something blocking DNS.

DO you have ISA on your server. If so, I would suggest you google search ISA rules for DNS and allow DNS through your firewall.